Balance of Power
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Balance of Power
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Narrated by:
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Patricia Kalember
About this listen
Richard North Patterson’s masterful portrayals of law and politics at the apex of power have made him one of our most important writers of popular fiction. Combining a compelling narrative, exhaustive research, and a sophisticated grasp of contemporary society, his bestselling novels bring explosive social problems to vivid life through characters who are richly imagined and intensely real. Now in Balance of Power Patterson confronts one of America’s most inflammatory issues–the terrible toll of gun violence.
President Kerry Kilcannon and his fiancée, television journalist Lara Costello, have at last decided to marry. But their wedding is followed by a massacre of innocents in a lethal burst of gunfire, challenging their marriage and his presidency in ways so shattering and indelibly personal that Kilcannon vows to eradicate gun violence and crush the most powerful lobby in Washington–the Sons of the Second Amendment (SSA).
Allied with the President’s most determined rival, the resourceful and relentless Senate Majority Leader Frank Fasano, the SSA declares all-out war on Kerry Kilcannon, deploying its arsenal of money, intimidation, and secret dealings to eviscerate Kilcannon’s crusade–and, it hopes, destroy his presidency. This ignites a high-stakes game of politics and legal maneuvering in the Senate, the courtroom, and across the country, which the charismatic but untested young President is determined to win at any cost. But in the incendiary clash over gun violence and gun rights, the cost to both Kilcannons may be even higher than he imagined.
And others in the crossfire may also pay the price: the idealistic lawyer who has taken on the gun industry; the embattled CEO of America’s leading gun maker; the war-hero senator caught between conflicting ambitions; the female senator whose career is at risk; and the grief-stricken young woman fighting to emerge from the shadow of her sister, the First Lady.
The insidious ways money corrodes democracy and corrupts elected officials . . . the visceral debate between gun-rights and gun-control advocates . . . the bitter legal conflict between gun companies and the victims of gun violence . . . a ratings-driven media that both manipulates and is manipulated–Richard North Patterson weaves these engrossing themes into an epic novel that moves us with its force, passion, and authority.
©2003 Richard North Patterson (P)2003 Random House Inc., Random House Audio, A Division of Random House, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Trial
- By: Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by: William DeMeritt
- Length: 18 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 73
A Black eighteen-year-old voting rights worker, Malcolm Hill, is stopped by a white sheriff’s deputy on a dark country road in rural Georgia. His single mother, Allie, America’s leading voting rights advocate, restlessly awaits his return before police inform her that Malcolm has been arrested for murder. In Washington, D.C., the rising young white congressman Chase Brevard of Massachusetts is watching the morning news with his girlfriend, only to find his life transformed in a single moment by the appearance of Malcolm’s photograph.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Best work of fiction I've read this year
- By Ron Plummer on 10-15-23
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Degree of Guilt
- By: Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by: Alexander Adams
- Length: 18 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 322
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 153
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 156
Christopher Paget is a trial lawyer with a famous past. As a young investigator he brought down a president. It cost him his relationship with Mary Carelli. Fifteen years have passed while Paget raises their son, seeking privacy. Until a murder changes everything.
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5 out of 5 stars
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A must listen for most
- By Vichar4u on 12-14-04
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Fall from Grace
- A Novel
- By: Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 586
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 495
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 505
The mysterious, violent death of a prominent New England patriarch exposes a nest of dark family secrets in bestselling author Richard North Patterson’s twentieth compelling novel. Adam Blaine arrives on the island of Martha’s Vineyard to attend the funeral of his estranged father, Ben Blaine, a famous and charismatic writer who has served as patriarch of his clan for many years.
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4 out of 5 stars
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The Usual Suspects
- By Lifeisshort on 09-04-15
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Silent Witness
- By: Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by: T. J. Edwards
- Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 502
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 222
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 216
Silent Witness begins in 1967, in a small Midwestern town. Seventeen-year-old Tony Lord, Lake City's star athlete, seems destined for great things. His driving ambition is precisely what attracts Alison Taylor, the daughter of the town's leading family, and it is what sets Tony apart from his two closest friends: Sam Robb and Sam's girl, Sue Cash. Suddenly, everything changes. Alison Taylor is brutally murdered, and Tony is the number one suspect. The town turns against him. His friendship with Sam is destroyed. And Tony leaves Lake City, vowing never to return.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Caught me by surprise....
- By Linda on 02-01-03
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Exile
- By: Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 20 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,348
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 381
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Story4 out of 5 stars 376
David Wolfe's life is approaching an exhilarating peak: he's a successful San Francisco lawyer, he's about to get married, and he's being primed for a run for Congress. But when the phone rings and he hears the voice of Hana Arif—the Palestinian woman with whom he had a secret affair in law school—he begins a completely unexpected journey. The next day, the prime minister of Israel is assassinated by a suicide bomber while visiting San Francisco; soon, Hana herself is accused of being the mastermind behind the murder. Now David faces an agonizing choice.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Enlightening Listen
- By Book and Movie Lover on 01-30-07
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In the Name of Honor
- By: Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by: John Bedford Lloyd
- Length: 15 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 277
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 96
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Story4 out of 5 stars 97
The McCarrans and the Gallaghers, two military families, have been close for decades, ever since Anthony McCarran—now one of the army's most distinguished generals—became best friends with Jack Gallagher, a fellow West Pointer who was later killed in Vietnam. Now a new generation of soldiers faces combat, and Lt. Brian McCarran, the general's son, has returned from a harrowing tour in Iraq. Traumatized by wartime experiences he will not reveal, Brian depends on his lifelong friendship with Kate Gallagher, Jack's daughter, who is married to Brian's commanding officer in Iraq.
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3 out of 5 stars
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I fell for the hype
- By yellow rose on 07-07-10
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Trial
- By: Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by: William DeMeritt
- Length: 18 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 79
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 73
A Black eighteen-year-old voting rights worker, Malcolm Hill, is stopped by a white sheriff’s deputy on a dark country road in rural Georgia. His single mother, Allie, America’s leading voting rights advocate, restlessly awaits his return before police inform her that Malcolm has been arrested for murder. In Washington, D.C., the rising young white congressman Chase Brevard of Massachusetts is watching the morning news with his girlfriend, only to find his life transformed in a single moment by the appearance of Malcolm’s photograph.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Best work of fiction I've read this year
- By Ron Plummer on 10-15-23
-
Degree of Guilt
- By: Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by: Alexander Adams
- Length: 18 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 322
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 153
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 156
Christopher Paget is a trial lawyer with a famous past. As a young investigator he brought down a president. It cost him his relationship with Mary Carelli. Fifteen years have passed while Paget raises their son, seeking privacy. Until a murder changes everything.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
A must listen for most
- By Vichar4u on 12-14-04
-
Fall from Grace
- A Novel
- By: Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 9 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 586
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 495
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 505
The mysterious, violent death of a prominent New England patriarch exposes a nest of dark family secrets in bestselling author Richard North Patterson’s twentieth compelling novel. Adam Blaine arrives on the island of Martha’s Vineyard to attend the funeral of his estranged father, Ben Blaine, a famous and charismatic writer who has served as patriarch of his clan for many years.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
The Usual Suspects
- By Lifeisshort on 09-04-15
-
Silent Witness
- By: Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by: T. J. Edwards
- Length: 17 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 502
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 222
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 216
Silent Witness begins in 1967, in a small Midwestern town. Seventeen-year-old Tony Lord, Lake City's star athlete, seems destined for great things. His driving ambition is precisely what attracts Alison Taylor, the daughter of the town's leading family, and it is what sets Tony apart from his two closest friends: Sam Robb and Sam's girl, Sue Cash. Suddenly, everything changes. Alison Taylor is brutally murdered, and Tony is the number one suspect. The town turns against him. His friendship with Sam is destroyed. And Tony leaves Lake City, vowing never to return.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Caught me by surprise....
- By Linda on 02-01-03
-
Exile
- By: Richard North Patterson
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 20 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 1,348
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 381
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 376
David Wolfe's life is approaching an exhilarating peak: he's a successful San Francisco lawyer, he's about to get married, and he's being primed for a run for Congress. But when the phone rings and he hears the voice of Hana Arif—the Palestinian woman with whom he had a secret affair in law school—he begins a completely unexpected journey. The next day, the prime minister of Israel is assassinated by a suicide bomber while visiting San Francisco; soon, Hana herself is accused of being the mastermind behind the murder. Now David faces an agonizing choice.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Enlightening Listen
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Story4 out of 5 stars 97
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3 out of 5 stars
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I fell for the hype
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Critic reviews
“Richard North Patterson has a keen eye for how Washington really works. His portrait of the gun lobby is right on–both in terms of its power and its political tactics. A must read for anyone interested in the gun debate.” –FORMER PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON
“Balance of Power is a rip-roaring novel about guns, lawyers, and politics. Richard North Patterson has extraordinary insight into how Washington works, and a complex and heartfelt understanding of the effects of gun violence on our society. This is a great read by a masterful writer.” –SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY
“Balance of Power is a compelling story, fully worthy of Richard North Patterson, which is made even more intriguing by its detailed insight into the world of special-interests politics in Washington, D.C.” –SCOTT TUROW
What listeners say about Balance of Power
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Joan McKenzie
- 01-14-05
Good story, so-so performance.
This is the first of Richard North Patterson's books that I have read or listened to, and I am now looking into his earlier works. I find it exciting, with several interesting characters who have varying priorities and viewpoints. I did note right from the beginning that Patricia Kalember is not as skilled as some of the other readers in bringing characters to life.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Thomas Lucas
- 08-02-05
Need more proof?
It was simply amazing to see a real life drama played out last week in the U.S. senate. Spearheaded by the Republican leadership we saw almost the same gun immunity bill passed that we read about in "Balance of Power". It upset me in print and now we are faced with it in real life. This bill was a testament to the power of the NRA and the gun lobby and how much our politicians fear them. We continue to kill each other and our children at an alarming rate. At least now we know that the gun makers need not be concerned about consequences. We call ourselves civilized.
No, this was not Richard North Patterson's finest work. The book seemed a little rushed and did not flow as smoothly as his earlier works. He need never hide his bias- we know where his ideals lie and thank you very much. He is rational in the face of irrationalness. I enjoyed the book and will forever credit him for waking us up to a threat that was actually realized.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- viennacoup
- 05-08-04
Exciting political novel
The deranged, estranged husband of the President's sister-in-law is able to buy an assault rifle at a gun show and use it to mow down a number of people at a California airport. This convinces the President that the time is right for some meaningful gun control. He first attempts to get the gun manufacturer to voluntarily agree. This falls apart when the gun lobby pressures the manufacturer. Frustrated, the President takes the battle to Congress and the courts. The result is a fascinating and exciting look at how our political system works and how the gun lobby can be so successful.
The SSA is the villain in this book and it is obviously a thinly disguised stand-in for the NRA. I was shocked at the low ratings for this book and especially at some of the comments about it. I suspect this is because the author chose to wade into the middle of a highly charged political debate and take a firm stand. Since he had control of the pen, some might say the story was a "cheap shot" at the NRA. If you are strongly against gun control, this book will offend you. If you are a member of the NRA, this book will probably offend you. If you were offended by Bowling for Columbine, don't listen to this book.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Laura
- 04-22-04
Very, very , very good book
Really enjoyed the entire book. Points made are excellent and thought provoking. Very enjoyable fiction. Now need the next book to continue the story!
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Harris
- 11-07-03
Politics - How Low Can it Get?
In this continuation of the Kilcannon presidency, we find ourselves facing some of the moral dilemmas that we read about in the newspapers on an almost daily basis. While the second amendment gives us the the right to bear arms, we are forced to choose between a person's right to hunt and a criminal's right to blow people away with impunity, using handguns made strictly for that purpose. This novel shows how special interests can intrude on the legislative process to accomplish their ends. Kilcannon torn by personal tragedy, is forced to fight tooth and nail with a recalcitrant Senate. All told an exciting political novel that delves into some important issues that we face daily. If you like political intrigue this might just be your cup of tea, if not stay away.
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5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- MI Tourt
- 03-06-18
Relevant and riveting
This was a great story. Taken from today's headlines. Narration was compelling and even paced. Highly recommend.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
- Maine Dave
- 06-28-07
Tour de Force
A stroll through power politics. A bit long in the unabridged version, but an insightful look at the role of supporters, lobbyists, lawsuits, and politians in the nation's affairs.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Scott Neils
- 01-14-04
Totally Captivating and Plausable
This story kept me wanting more, hoping for stop lights so I could listen longer. The subject is timely and the treatment plausable. Well worth the investment of both time and money.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Susanaskye
- 11-03-04
Excellent Book
Patterson instructs and demonstrates the dynamics of our political system while weaving a tale. I am constantly amazed at how he uses normal political activity to create tension and drama. If you hate politics you won't like the book. There is little blood and only some tragedy, the rest is about the maneuverings needed to get things done.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance1 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- The Oldbat
- 08-17-15
No plot; hours of rant
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
I don't think anything could have been done to make this a 4 or 5 star listening experience.
What could Richard North Patterson have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
I bought this book and listened for a couple of hours waiting for the "balance of power" but seems to be hours of the author's personal views.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
The narrator was okay but the subject matter actually detracted from her.
What character would you cut from Balance of Power?
All of them.
Any additional comments?
Not really. I hated this book and had I not bought it many months ago, I would ask to return it. I kept listening hoping it would get better but has not. There is no balance in the balance of power.
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